This invention relates to the interface connection of electronic sensors, such as radars, and to electronic detectors, such as high performance computers (HPCs). HPCs have a standard data transfer interface or "protocol", such as the High Performance Parallel Interface (HiPPI), which specifies both the physical connectors and a signaling protocol, but sensors, e.g., radars, have unique outputs and can be physically separated from HPCs by tens to thousands of meters. Currently there are no devices or procedures that allow unique and varied input formats to interface to a HIPPI protocol.
There is a further complication that the radar sensor channels may output 40-80 Million bytes of information per second. As a result, a high level of performance is needed over relatively long distance communication channels.
"Modem" or modulator/demodulator-like interfaces can be used to interconnect HIPPI serially across fiber optic lines. The current procedure is to use a modem that adapts HIPPI for transmission over a serial fiber optic line. Although HIPPI is a "parallel" connection, this kind of interface is known as "serial" HIPPI. However, there has been no reconfigurable implementation for adapting a design for non-HIPPI protocols.
The interfacing of different data protocols necessitated by different electronic sensors is typically done by providing a unique solution for each different data transfer procedure. The standard procedure is to have one printed circuit board (PCB) which implements the interface for each different protocol. Consequently there is a need to change the PCB each time a different protocol is desired. This greatly increases the logistical complexity and cost by requiring the availability of multiple PCB interface designs.